Wirral | Archive | 2005 | June | 15
From the Wirral Globe, first published Wednesday 15th Jun 2005.
By Justin Dunn
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to force people living in Wallasey and Liverpool's Kirkdale to share an MP has been scrapped thanks to a vociferous Wirral Globe campaign.
The Boundary Commission has admitted that "almost everyone on both sides of the River Mersey" was opposed to the idea of a shared constituency.
As the announcement was made on Wednesday morning (June 15), political figures from across the peninsula queued up to lavish praise on the Globe for its part in getting the plan scrapped
Assistant commissioner Colin Reese QC had asked to see our coverage of the row as he prepared his final recommendations on the proposals.
After months of deliberation, he announced that Wirral would continue to have its own four MPs in Wallasey, Birkenhead, Wirral West and Wirral South.
That is spite of the fact that all of the seats have less than the required voters normally needed for constituencies in England and Wales - with Wirral West having the smallest electorate in the country.
In its report, the Boundary Commission said that Mr Reese agreed with objectors "who described the proposed constituency as an artificial or false creation".
"He considered its creation would be a deeply unpopular constituency with electors on both sides of the Mersey estuary, and would be bound to operate in a practice more as a 'federation' of two semi-constituencies rather than as a single cohesive constituency," it said.
The report added that people opposed to the cross-Mersey plan had "a rational purpose" to do so and that Mr Reese "unequivocally recommended that a cross-river constituency should not be created".
Leah Fraser, who stood as Conservative candidate for Wallasey in the general election, said: "More than 10,000 people signed our petition against merger and, together with fantastic support from the Globe, we have persuaded the Government's boundary commission to think again.
"If something ain't broke, don't fix it. Of all the seats in Wirral and Liverpool, Wallasey is the closest to the average based on the number of electors."
TV personality Esther McVey, who stood as Tory candidate for Wirral West, said: "I would like to thank the Globe for the part it played in ensuring the people of Wirral were aware of the Commission's original recommendations, for its phone poll and the support it gave in ensuring that the voice of the people was heard."
Wallasey's Labour MP Angela Eagle said: "There was very strong public feeling on both sides of the Mersey that such a seat would not work well and would cut local ties.
"The Mersey forms a too solid boundary between the two areas to make the seat sensible which is why I opposed it so strongly at the inquiry. I am glad that common sense seems to have won the day and that the proposal has now been dropped.
"With only the Mersey Tunnel, which has no pedestrian access, for a direct link between the two parts of the proposed constituency, there were always going to be huge practical difficulties for a cross-river seat."
Wirral's four constituencies will now be made up of the following electoral wards:
Wallasey: Leasowe and Moreton East, Liscard, Moreton West and Saughall Massie, New Brighton, Seacombe and Wallasey.
Birkenhead: Bidston and St James, Birkenhead and Tranmere, Claughton, Oxton, Prenton and Rock Ferry.
Wirral South: Bebington, Bromborough, Clatterbridge, Eastham and Heswall.
Wirral West: Greasby, Frankby and Irby, Hoylake and Meols, Pensby and Thingwall, Upton, West Kirby and Thurstaston.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008